Life or Death?
by Akidma
Summary: (I'm not good at these!) Ryo, in ancient times, was a Princess, destined to be with the Pharoah. But when history soons to begin repeating itself in the present, will Ryo choose being with the Pharoah, or willshe stay and be with her friends? (I'm bad...)


Meeting of the Pharoah

The sun played on the slowly running surface of the stream, the sun bouncing off in many directions. Ryo stood near, watching in thought, her arms gently folded across her chest. The sun played on her richly tanned skin, long black hair pulled back into a braid, a few strands framing her face.

High school was over for her senior year, only a week ago to this day. Yes, it was freedom until she decided to go to college, but even so, it caused more complications. During school she never had time to make decks for dueling competitions and the championships held at the island near the coasts. Plus, living on her own for the past year, made things hard. Working and school, there was hardly a time for herself, until now. Sighing, she leaned her head back, closing her eyes.

Her parents died when she was seventeen, a year ago from today. It was also during the time she was gone for the only championship she would ever have in her life, or at least she hoped it wouldn't be. It was how she became to live on her own. She refused to live in foster homes, and she had no friends at the time to move in with.

As she stood in silent thought, a splash in the water woke her. She jumped, and then looked up into the tree nearby. Joey was crouched within the branches, holding a few small stones with a mischevious smile on his face.

"What are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be with Yuugi?" she asked, turning to look at him better, her hands now resting on her hips.

"I have been," Joey replied, jumping out of the tree, and nearly right on top of Ryo. He then looked at her. "You've been out here for quite some time, and I came to see if you were all right?"

Ryo nodded. "I'm fine, quit worrying about me."

Joey wrapped his hands around her arms, feeling the scars she had from her self inflicted wounds. "I can't help it Ryo. I worry about you because I care."

As Ryo looked into his eyes, she saw pain in them, knowing she was the one to cause it. "I know Joey... I know."

Smiling, Joey then pulled out a box from a pocket, placing it in her hands. "I know you're birthday is next week, but I think you can have a present early."

Ryo looked to him, and then opened the box. Inside was a deck of cards, and inside was a small piece of paper. Taking the paper out she read the scribbly handwriting:

_Ryo,_

_Happy birthday, mon amie! I hope these cards will prove helpful later in the future for your dueling career. Picked them out myself, in case you wanted to know. Well, have a great birthday, and don't forget, I'll be there for you when you need me._

_Joey_

Ryo smiled, and hugged Joey, holding both the deck and note in one hand. "Thank you so much," she said, a soft smile on her face. "And I'm sure they will be helpful, especially if you picked them out."

Joey blushed, and hugged her back spinning her in a quick circle. "I'm glad, now lets go home, shall we?" he asked, holding out his arm for her to take.

Wrapping her arm in his, they both headed back towards town together. After a few minutes passed, they reached Ryo's house, Joey taking her there first to make sure she got home safely. "Take care Ryo, I'll see you tomorrow at the fair!"

Ryo smiled and waved to him as he walked away, turning a corner and vanishing from sight. Turning back into her house she plopped herself down onto the couch, and looked through the deck Joey had given her. She gasped when she saw the card she thought she would never see in her life. Obelisk the Tormentor, just the card she needed as well. "Wow... Thanks Joey.."

A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth, and a tear fell down her cheek. Placing the deck down onto the coffee table, she leaned back, and rested her head on her hands. Tomorrow was going to be a long, fun day for her. Joey, Tea, Yuugi, Tristan, and herself were all going to the fair which was coming to town. For her, it would be the first time in her life going to such an event.

Just as she was drifting off to sleep, the doorbell rang. Jumping up, she rubbed her head a little. "Who on earth could it be?" she mumbled, getting off the couch and going to the door.

Opening it, she saw a man standing before her, wrapped in a dark cloak, the hood up to conceal his face, only his mouth and chin were visible. As he lifted his head, his dark violet eyes stared deeply into her own. Strands of sandy blond hair fell down over his face. "My name is Marik Ishtar, and forgive this rudeness, but I must take you God card."

Ryo shook her head, and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry, but I refuse giving it to you." A smirk was now painted on her face as she stared to the man in front of her. "Besides, what would you want with it?"

Marik nodded, lifting the hood from his head. He had olive skin, the dim light making him seem to glow. "I suppose that we shall have to duel for it, correct, Ryo?"

Ignoring the fact he knew her name and she never told him, she agreed to the duel. "I win I get your card, you win, you get mine."

They stepped out onto the empty streets, which made a great arena for the time being. The holographic lights appeared beside them, two on either side Duel discs appeared on both their arms, by some form of magic, or just unexplainable. "Go first," Marik said, drawing five cards now.

Ryo did the same, looking over the cards. 'Not much I can really do with these,' she thought, and then sighed. "I'll place two cards face down on the field, and end my turn."

'Amateur,' he thought, looking back down to his hand. "Hmm. I'll place one card face down, and then set out Plasma Generator."

Ryo lifted a brow to his move, shook her head, and then drew a card. Again, there wasn't a whole lot she could this turn. "I'll place another card face down, then flip summon my Summoned Skull." Flipping the card over she then looked to Marik. "Now, attack his life points directly."

When the attack was over, Marik stood there with a slightly annoyed look to his face. "So, attacking me will help you win, eh?" Laughing slightly, he shook his head, drawing another card. "Within three turns, my Generator will have created enough tokens for me to summon my God card."

Ryo glared at him, knowing if she didn't find a way to destroy his generator, it would result in loosing her God card, and one that Joey gave to her. Sending his Plasma to attack, it brought her down 800 life points. Though it was hardly anything, enough of them could get rid of her within a few turns.

Ending his turn, Ryo drew a card from the deck. She smiled, a glint of evil showing through her eyes. "I'll sacrifice my three face down card, and summon Obelisk the Tormentor. Next, I'll use my spell card to detroy your Plasma and generator!"

Placing a card on the field, Marik's Plasma Generator and Plasma were both sucked into a blackhole, as it then closed up, sending the two to his graveyard. Marik only watched, unable to do anything. "But... How could you?" he asked her, once he was able to find his words.

Ryo shrugged. "Simple. Plasma is nearly indestructable, correct?" Marik nodded. "Well, basically what this card does, it acts like a blackhole from space. Plasma Destroyer usually takes out one target, but the special effect of it is when Obelisk is on the field, it can take two targets at once."

'She's much smarter and much more advanced than I thought.' Without his two monsters on the field, he wasn't going to get far now. Placing his hand over his deck, he placed the few remaining cards in his hand down. "I surrender, Ryo."

She stood there, slightly confused. "Why?" Her voice sounded of utter confusion. "Why not fight me back?"

Marik placed his deck into its respectful place, the duel disc vanishing from his arm. "You have something I rarely see in any duelist, and you use it more strongly than the others. What I see in your eyes when you duel is life for yourself, and death to your enemy. Such a combination can be deadly, especially when used the right way, Ryo."

She tilted her head, hearing her name once again. Daring to ask, she folded her arms over her chest. "How is it you know my name, when I never told you?"

Marik walked over to her, placing a warm gentle hand on her shoulder. "In Egypt, I am the detined Pharoah, needing the God cards for power. You are the Egyptian Princess, needing the God cards because you are the guardian over them."

Looking to him, she now noticed small tattoos under his eyes in some for of Egyptian writing. "So, that would explain those, wouldn't it?"

Nodding, Marik then ran a finger down her back. "And my back, as well as yours. But there is only one question for it. How, and why?" His soft violet eyes looked down to her, his hair falling back into his face.

"I was fourteen, turning fifteen. It was a family ritual to their only child when I did live in Egypt to burn the scriptures of my god into my back."

She looked down slowly, whike Marik nodded and stepped back a little. "I see." He paused a moment, and then continued on. "Imagine, Ryo, the things we could do together, if you came back with me to Egypt."

Turning on her foot to face him, she clenched her hands into fists. "You can forget it Marik. I work alone and I don't need help from the likes of you." With that she turned and walked off, but was stopped by Marik pulling her arm.

"Think about it. You have until tomorrow, or your friends will suffer instead."

About to say something, she turned, but stopped. He was gone, vanished. Looking around, she shivered and ran inside her house, placing the cards on the table by her and sat on the couch once more. Her elbows were placed on her knees, and her chin in the palm of her hands. "Why would he want me? I can't do anything..."

Looking to the picture of her cousin and herself, a soft smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. they looked so much alike, yet different. The night this picture was taken, their hair was all done in braids and fancy gold rings which held the hair up. Their skin complexion was about the same, though her cousin's was a bit paler in comparison, and they wore the same pale golden dresses.

Getting off the couch, she headed to her room, crawling under the blankets, not caring of her clothes, and closed her eyes as she buried her head on the pillow. "I'm not destined to him.. I couldn't be.." she whispered to herself, sleep pulling her in now as she shook her head once again. "I can't be.."


End file.
